The Fort Wayne Museum of Art is pleased to introduce the inaugural Betty Fishman Award for Achievement in the Arts presented to Rick Cartwright, Founding Dean of the University of Saint Francis School of Creative Arts (SOCA).

Mr. Cartwright retired from SOCA in June 2017 after more than 40 years of teaching at the school. Among his many achievements, he was named a Lilly Scholar in 1993 and was the 1990-1991 recipient of the Sears-Roebuck Foundation Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership Award. In 2003, Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne honored Mr. Cartwright by presenting him with the Esther Ritz Collyer Award for Lifetime Achievement in Art Education.

The award will be presented by Betty Fishman on September 29 at a party celebrating the two exhibits focused on Louis I. Kahn, one of the 20th century’s greatest architects who designed Fort Wayne’s Arts United Center. Fishman, a Fort Wayne art world luminary, is also the last living member of the committee that, in 1961, selected Kahn to design an arts campus in downtown Fort Wayne.

“Rick’s contributions, both as a fine artist and pioneering educator, are immeasurable. His commitment to excellence is clearly illustrated by SOCA’s accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. Throughout his career, Rick has achieved countless successes for himself, his students, his university, and our community. He set the bar to ever higher levels, just as Betty Fishman has done in her career in the arts,” said FWMoA President Charles Shepard.

The party on September 29th begins at 6pm and is open to the public. The speaker for the evening will be Zachary Benedict, whose career as an architect has emphasized the connection between people and places. In recognition of his work, the American Institute of Architects has honored him with the Young Architect Award. Mr. Benedict will discuss the architectural significance of the Arts United Center and the legacy Louis Kahn left in Fort Wayne. Tickets for the party are $10 FWMoA Members and $15 non-members and are available for purchase at the door, although seating will be limited, or in advance at www.fwmoa.org. Cash bar and hors d’oeuvres will be offered.